Wing-shedding means for flying boats



..I. P. TARBOX WING SI-IEDDING MEANS FOR FLYING BOATS Aug. {28

Original Filed Dec. 15, 1915 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Suva/Mica,

JOHN P. TARBOX 44043 1,466,634 J. P. TARBOX A WING SHEDDING MEANS FOR FLYING BOATS ugb- 2-8, 1923.

Original Filed Dec. 15, 1915 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 nah-5:;-

. awue/wtoz L/W JOHN armaaox @3313 44' wozmcqr Aug. 28, 1 923.

J. P. TARBOX WING SHEDDING MEANS FOR FLYING BOATS Original Filed Dec. 15, 9 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 P. FARBOX Aug. 28, 1923.

.J. P. TARBOX WING SHEDDING MEANS FOR FLYING BQATS Original Filed Dec. 15, 1915 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 avwmtoz JOHN P. mnaox Patented Aug. 28, 1923.

UNITED STATES m'ra w OFFICE.

JOHN P. rnimox, or GARDEN CITY, New Year, nssreuoa, BY mnsnn nssremrnu'rs,

'ro CURTISS AEROPLANE AND moron coarona'rron, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK, n

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

WING-SHEDDING MEANS IQOR FLYING BOATS.

Refile of abandoned application surfaces and with the requisite stabilizing and flight control surfaces.

- This type ofaircraft is entitled to-an everwidening field of employment, owing to the,

fact that it is navigable at will upon the surface of-the water in much the same manner as the ordinary motor boat, an advantage for which no analogous use can be made out for the land alighting types of aeroplanes, as the surface runs of the latter are almost entirely limited to the attaining of sufiicient speed to climb into the air when starting, or

in returning from a flight. Operation of a H in p re to a great extent by the large wing spread and in particular is this the case when the maneuvers are undertaken in a storm or in rough weather. Should the pilot of a flying boat be forced to terminate his cruise by efiecting a landing during stormy weather,

' with tlieintention of proceeding as a motor boat to the nearest shelter, he would encounter great difficulties in guiding his craft owing to the great leverage exerted by the wind force upon the aerial supporting surfaces, which would undoubtedly, in case of a storm of any magnitude, render the 40 boat completely unmanageable.

The present practice takes no cognizance of the above enumerated dificulty, with the exception of the British Patent 24,462 of 1913 which recognizes the desirability of some provision enabling the aviator to sh the wings of his flying boat, although the means proposed by this patent have not been practicably simplified in the manner P. TARBOX, aentinvention.

boat upon the water, however, is ham- No. 66,913, filed December 15, 1915. This application filed January 8,

1921. Serial No. 434,505.

hereinafter to be first disclosed by the res- The mentioned patent s ows a number of forms of actually disrupting the motor boat structure at the time of shedding the supporting wings, and in particular contemplates the removal of the aerial control surfaces with the aerial supporting surfaces which prevents the pilot from havmg proper control of his craftupon the surface of the water, when the craft is stripped down to its motor boat essentials.

Accordingly, this invention contemplates as its principal object the disclosure of im provements in flying boats capable of filling the need for a craft adapted for the customary aerial service but convertible, and in a manner more practical than any previously known to the arts, almost instantaneously into a seaworthy motor boat by the collapse shedding of its wings. 1 More specifically, it is an object of the invention to arrange an engine section for a flying boat which shall include a wing structure built into the hull having erected thereon a suitable brace means, the upper and low; er surfaces of each wing being hingedly con-- nected to said brace means and saidwing structure respectively and all of said hinge connections being capable of instant d1s ruption.

. An object in still further detail is to provide a series of hinge joints including ears associated with coned 'pintles'; to provide means normally preventing the withdrawal ofthe pintles from their hinged association with respective joints, and to further provide means for causing the simultaneous withdrawalof all of said pintles by operation of a single element.

It is an object of co-ordinate importance with the-foregoing to equip a flying boat provided with 'the detachable wings described, with means for severing all connections between the removed wings and the ad boat hull at the time of shedding the former,

such connections including the aileron controt wires and drift wires bracing each wing tothe nose of the boat. 7

nate similar parts,

1g. 1 is a view in side elevation of a flying boat as constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial front elevation of the same subject matter; i

Fig. 3 is a partial plan view of the boat;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail illustrating tllle arrangement of the hinge-removing togg Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the wing mounting and their shedding means;

Fig. '6 is an enlarged plan illustrating the drift wire release;

Fig. 7 is a composite perspective of the severing means for the aileron wire connections as separated into its elements;

*ig. 8 is an enlarged detail of the wing shedding apparatus showing the operation thereof in dotted lines;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the same subject matter;

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic view of the gasoline supply system;

Fig. 11 is a detail of .the slip-joint to be 1 provided on each gasoline supply line, and Fig. 12 is a front elevation of a modified form forthe wing braces, showing the A- braces replaced by a doubly stayed standard.

In carrying out the object of the present invention with regard to the underlying idea of rendering a to its motor boat essentials, it will be apparent that a practical embodiment demands first, that the wing shedding apparatus be of such character as notto weaken the ordinary construction which aerial service; second, that the means emgloyed to shed the wings be incapable of operation by accident or negligence on the part of the flying crew; and third, that when it is necessary for immediate use, no matter how long the apparatus has been in disuse, the pllot may depend upon-its instant operation, since he will naturally wait until his situadesperate before resorting to a his crafts identity as a flying machlne. To meet these requirements, apparatus of a simple nature must be evolved which'must at the same time add to, rather than detract from, the fitness of the craft for flight and must have its means of operation so constructed as to normally lock the removable connections in their proper places,

terminating in one of flying boat instantly reducible fits the craft for b aaeaeea while being capable of yieldingxto the single movement of disconnection. ny structure or apparatus which can meet the requirements above stated and which is therefore capable of accomplishing the objects previously set forth, is to be considered as being comprehended in full by the present lnvention. One embodiment in particular has been illustrated and will be immediately described, it being first desired, however, to stress the fact that in no manner can these disclosures form limitations of the inventions broad interpretation.

Briefly, the method of mounting the wings for instantaneous detachment is based upon a wingstructure built directly into the boat hull and having connected A-braces erected thereon. Each of these braces carries at its apex socket an integral bearing ear which is further continued by a short arm the disc heads for a rotary cutter. The other head is pivoted eccentrically to the first named head and the heads are formed with registering apertures, the adjacent peripheries of which are provided with cutting edges. Through these cutting discs pass the control wires connecting the ailerons of the opposite Wings, and to the bearing ear is hinged a similar ear or leaf carried by each wing, a common pintle being employed to firmlyassociate the ears of each joint. Each pintle is coned to facilitate read withdrawal and is to be operated by a togg e arm which also has rotating relations with the movable disc head.

The lower wings are mounted to the mentioned built-in-wing structure in substantially the same manner as the upper wings upon their A-braces, and, a single rotatable element, a shaft equipped with anoperating handle, serves to withdraw the coned pintles of each hinge connection while operating the cutting devices to sever all control wires between the hull and the separate wings. At the same time drift yokes which connect the leading edge of the upper wings with the nose of the hull are released y a removable pin arrangement, also operated by the single movement of the shaft element, The mentioned A-braces serve to shed the wings laterally of the boat, being especially adapted to prevent contact with the hull of the detached wings. Such other connections as the gasoline lines between the engines, which are preferably mounted between the wings, and the hull may be readily snapped or disassociated by means of a suitable slip-joint connection.

e wings once shed, the aviator has but to restore to its operative condition a water propeller which is normally hidden away within the streamline of the hull, and which is operated by an auxiliary motor, of small 1 motor boat and--withvastly improved chances of weathering the storm which renboat are not altered bythe present inven-' tion save in the single essential of mounting the supporting surfaces upon the hull. The latter as denoted by the numeral 15 is provided with the usual forwardly curved and transversely V-shaped planing bottom 16 which is laterally developed to form the extended auxiliary planing fins 17.. Built into -.the hull proper through the medium of laterally projecting wing beams 18 is the hull panel 19, supporting upon its beams 18 I the fore and aft aligned A-braces 20. Each A-brace includes a leg tapering to a seat in the two-way apex socket 21 which is integrally continued to form a vertical bearing car 22. A supporting arm 23 is carried by this ear of each apex socket, each arm terminating in an enlarged head portion 24 forming the stationary member of a wire cutter. The movable member 25 of the cutter includes a head 26 formed on one ex tremit of a tapering shank, the other end of which-is slotted in the manner shown at 27 to allow for a lost motion connection to be later setforth. The two cutting heads 24 and 26 are formed with concentric cutting apertures 28 the adjacent peripheries of which are provided with a knife edge of suitable character. Eccentrically registering apertures 29 formed in these heads or cutting discs permit of-a pivotal connection therebetween, such that movement of the member 25 with relation to the stationary head Will'permit the cutting apertures to sever a wirewhich is normally movable therethrough.

The upper wing surfaces 30 are adapted to be similarly hinged to the apex sockets of the braces 20 and for this purpose hinge registering apertures of the tapering formation adapted to accommodate a conical hlnge pintle 32, the larger or withdrawing extremity of which carries the flattened shank 33 to arrange for surface contact with the shank of the movable cutter 25, and hearing a pin 26 which is received within the slotted extremity .27 of such shank to complete, the desired lost motion connection. It

will also be noted that all of'theelements just described are hidden in the wing streamline, a refinement that is of no little importance.

The preceding discloses the method of hingedly mounting the ,upper wing surfaces 30 upon the engine section A-braces. The lower surfaces 34' of the wings are adapted to have an essentially similar mounting with the exception that the central members'of the joint are carried: atthe extremities of the built-in wing beams 18 and the hinge ears for each of the surfaces 34 may doubly overlap this central car, since a double hin e joint is comtemplated in place of the trip 6 joint necessitated on the apex sockets 21. Cutting discs are also supported in juxtaposition to certain of'these hinge joints, but although embodying the same idea as those first disclosed, a slightly different construction is necessitated. The stationary head 35 is supported upon the forward wing beam 18 and has eccentrically pivoted thereto the movable head 36 which iii the present-in stance takes the shape of a bell crankbeing provided'with its cutting apertures 37 at. the

vertex of the angle and'having the extremity opposite its pivotal point slotted as shown by the numeral 38 for lost motion connections.

It will be understood that one of these cutting devices is positioned at each extremity of theforward wing beam 18, slnce ,it is proposed to sever the aileron control wires 39 which enter thehull 15 from opposite sides for attachment to the operating shoulder yoke (not shown) or such other control means as may be provided; Each of these aileron wires 39 leads to a balancing device 41 which has been illustrated as attached to the trailing edge of each wing tip. The devices of opposite wing tipsare interconnected across the planes through the medium of the upper aileron wire 42 whichpasses through the cutting aperture 3O of the device formed upon the forward apex bracket 21. Small sleeves, shown in Fig. 9, serve to align this wire with the cutting apertures and to prevent a wearing friction therebetween. It will thus become apparent that operation of these cutting devices at the sides of the hull and upon the forward A-brace will sever all of the control connec-=' tions existing between the separate wings or between either wing and the hull.

There still remains, however, the provision of means of some character adapted to release the drift Wires 43 whereby each of the upper wings 30 is connected to the nose of the hull. For this purpose, reference should be had particularly to Figs. 4, 5 and 6 in which each of the yoked drift wires 43 is shown as attached to an anchoringplate 44.

These plates overlap upon the nose piece 45 and are centrally apertured for removable accommodation of the retaining pin 46 which is slidable within a socket casing designated by the numeral 47 and carried by the mentioned nose piece. Resilient means 48, of some such desirable nature as the expansible coil spring illustrated, serve to maintain the pin 46 at its outward limit of projection in order to firmly secure the anchoring plates 44 under. all normal conditions. To secure withdrawal of this staypin and the consequent release of the drift yokes 43, there is provided the wire pull 49 connecting to the pin and adapted to be operated for the disassociation. of the pin with the plates 44 against the tension of the spring 48.

There has thus been set forth in detail the various devices for severing all connections between the hull and the aerial supporting surfaces, and it will be noted that each of these devices is of an instantaneous character. It now remains but to disclose the means whereby each of these devices may be connected to a single operating element in order to complete the description of the means contemplated by this invention for the instant shedding of the wings when stripping a flying boat of all but. its motor boat essentials.

Simultaneous operation of the various hinge pint-1e withdrawing elements is accomplished through the medium of an oscillatable shaft having toggle connections with each of the joints, in addition to the various aileron wire cutting and drift wire releasing devices. This common operative shaft is denoted by the numeral 50 and is provided with a handle lever 51 for its actuation. A bail 52 is provided inside of the cabin for a normal locking connection with this lever in order to prevent any accidental or negligent operation of the shaft 50. At each extremity of this shaft, which extends transversely the entire beam of the hull, there is carried a lever arm 53. One of these arms is double in order to llifle additional connections with the drift wire release 49 at the one end and with the actuating arm 54 of a second transversely extending shaft 55 at the other end, this second shaft being horizontally journaled between the built-in wing beams 18 of the lower panel. The wire pull 49 is led forwardly to its connection with the releasing pin 46 by a conduit 56 which thus affords the pull an axial withreeaeaa employed by the first mentioned lever arm is provided with a laterally extending stud or pin 58 which enters the slotted extremity 38 of the movable bell crank cutter on its side of the boat, and will operate the cutter at the same time that it imparts the oscillation of the primary shaft- 50 to the secondary shaft 55.

The latter shaft is connected to opposite pairs of coned hinge pintles through the medium of the toggle arms 59 which are pivoted to the extremities of the arms 60 carried by such shaft. The toggle rods and their connecting arm are normally in an alignment which is substantially axial to the alignment of the hinge pintles of each pair, and thus, act as a positive locking means against the casual displacement of the pintles from their hinge joints. A predetermined actuation of the governing shaft 50 is necessary to operate these toggles to cause disruption of the wing hinge joints.

The triple joints between the upper surfaces 30 and the apex sockets 21 of the supporting i i-braces, are to be simultaneously disrupted with the described joints of the lower wing surfaces. For this purpose a stub shaft 61, which might be termed a tertiary operating element, is journaled between the contiguous wing edges and carries an operating arm 62 with its toggle lever 63. A vertically moving rod 64 projects through the cabin roof to connect this arm 62 with the similar arm 65 mounted upon the secondary shaft, while toggle rods 66 serve to connect the double arm (33 with the pintles 32 of each triple hinge joint.

From the detailed description in the fore going, it should now be apparent that upon the decision of the aviator to dispense with his wings where the situation, owing to a severe storm is rendered precarious by the fact that the retention of the wings prevents the proper maneuvering of the boat, he has but to release the handle 51 from engagement with its locking bail and to give the handle a quick forward jerk which results in the partial oscillation of the governing shaft 50. This will, through the secondary and tertiary shafts, withdraw at the same time all of the hinge pintles connecting the wings to each other and to the boat hull, while at the same time operating the cutting devices to sever the aileron control wires at the points where they enter the hull and where they connect opposite wings, together with the instant release of the drift yokcs bracing the upper wing surfaces to the nose of the hull. All connections of whatever description are thus immediately dissolved between the boat and the accessories fitting it for flight, by a single operation from th aviators station. It then becomes obviou that the boat will thus be rendered ver much more sea-worthy and be given an op portunity to proceed, under its own power, to the nearest shelter.

Since the aeronautical engines are mounted between the upper and lower wing surfaces on opposite sides of the engine section A- braces, they will be lost when the wings are shed, but the boat has been fitted to cope with this contingency through the equipment of the water propeller denoted as a whole by the numeral 68 with its auxiliary driving motor 69. This motor is located within the hull l5, and the propeller projects rearwardly beyond the hydroplaning step terminating the planing bottom 16 of the boat. Since it is particularly desired, however, that the water propeller thus operable behind the step does not interfere with the rearwardly tapering streamline of the hull during normal aerial flight, the propeller shaft is formed with a universal joint 70 and is adapted to be supported at its outward extremity in an arcuate bracket 71 which is adjustable to permit the stowage of the propeller within a recess 72 formed in the hull bottom while the bracket 71 is receivable within a communicating pocket 73.

Figs. 10 and 11 are devotedto details of the gasoline supply system for the engines 74 carried by opposite wings. Each engine has its individual carburetor 75 which is adapted to be fed from a common gravity tank 76 swung between the A-braces and at the apex thereof. This gravitytank is of comparatively small dimensions and of negligible head resistance, being filled from a main supply tank 77 located within the hull where its great bulk cannot offer the corresponding resistance which would be expected were it not for the'employment of the small gravity tank. The gasoline lines between the tank 7 6 and respective carburetors 7 5-is formed with a slip joint more particularly illustrated in Fig. 11 consisting simply in the telescoping of a pair of pipes 78 and 79 of different bores with a gasket 80 completing the joint. When the wings of the the flying boat are collapsed, a joint such as this will readily part and will not wreck the gasoline tank which is depended upon to furnish the fuel for the auxiliary motor 69 which under no circumstances is to be shed.

Fig. 12 shows a modified form of l-l-brace .capable of efficiently performing the func-' tion required thereof. A center post 20 projects vertically from the hull of the aircraft for the support of the two upper wings in the manner already made known, this post being stayed to the lower wing panel, which overhangs the lateral fins ofthe hydroplaning bottom 16, by oblique guys 21*. These latter will serve to shed clear of the boat hull and fins the wings as detached.

It is believed that the foregoing complete exposition of the present invention requires no additional discussion of its merits, as it cannot be doubted that means have been provided ifor'the attainment of the objects previously set forth. I

While in the foregoing, however, there has thus been illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification such combination and arrangement of elements as constitute. one preferred embodiment of this in-' vention, it is desired to emphasize the fact that such departures from the particular embodiment disclosed may be made in later adaptations of this invention as shall be recognized as falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: ,y

1. In an aircraft, a body, a stub-wing panel extending intermediately across said body, propelling power plants arranged out from said body laterally beyond the extremities of said panel, and separable principal supporting surfaces anchored. to said panel.

2. In an aircraft, a body, a stub-wing panel extending intermediately across said body, A-braces erected on said panel, detachable superposed principal supporting surfaces anchored respectively to said panel and said braces, and separate power units removable as a unit with the supporting surfaces at opposite sides of the fore and aft axis of the craft;

3. In an aircraft, separable supporting surfaces, control surfaces, control means for said surfaces operable from a point within the body of the craft and means for cutting said control means and for detaching said surfaces simultaneously.

4. In an aircraft, the combination with the hull, of shedable wings, a motor shedable with the wings, a non-shedable motor, a fuel supply tank, connections respectively between the tank and motors, the connection between the tank and shedable motor comprising feed line sections separable simultaneously with the shedding of the wings.

5. In an aircraft, the combination with the hull of shedable wings, a motor shedable witli the wings, a non-shedable motor enclosed in the hull, a fuel supply tank, and connections between the tank and motors, the connection between the tank and shedable motor comprising feed line sections separable simultaneously with the shedding of thewings without a corresponding break in the feed line connection between the fuel tank and non-shedable motor.

6. In an aircraft, the combination with a hull, of a wing structure extending intermediately across the hull, a portion of the wing structure being shedable and a portion non-shedable with respect to the hull, a motor carried by and shedable with the shedable portion of the wing structure, a second and non-shedable motor enclosed within the oscillatable element adapted to withdraw all of said pintles simultaneously.

9. In an aircraft, wings, hinge joints for the wings including separable ears and retaining pintles for said parts, means to normally prevent withdrawal of said pintles from said joints and means to simultaneously withdraw all of said pintles by movement of a sin 1e element.

10. In an aircraft, wings, hinge joints for the wings including separable ears and retaining pintles for the ears, and toggles connecting certain of the pintles to normally prevent displacement from their joints.

11. In an aircraft, wings, hinge joints for the wings including separable ears and retaining pintles for the ears, toggles connecting pairs of pintles and means to o crate all of the toggles to simultaneously disrupt said joints.

12. In an aircraft, a hull, a brace erected thereon, a socket carried by said brace, and a hinge bearing and a cutter head formed in integral continuation of said socket.

13. In an aircraft, a brace, a socket for the brace, a bearing ear formed on said socket, an arm formed on said ear, a pintle receivable within said ear and a cutter connected to said arm and means for simultaneously withdrawing said pintle and operating said cutter.

14. In an aircraft, a stub-wing panel, A- braces erected thereon, wings hinged to said 'panel and said braces respectively for simultaneous dislodgement from said craft, and means for effecting the wing release.

15. In an aircraft, a stub-wing paneL-A- braces erected thereon, surfaces hinged to said panel, surfaces hinged to said A-braces and to each other, and means operable from the aviators station within the craft to dislodge all of said surfaces at a single movement.

16. In an aircraft, means hinging the wings of the craft together, wire means connecting the wings, Wire means tying the wings to the craft and means for simultaneously disrupting the hinges and the cutting and releasing said wire means respectively to detach said wings from the craft.

17. The combination with the upper wing surfaces and the lower wing surfaces naeaeaa of an aircraft of a controlling element operable from the aviators station, secondary means operable by the first said means to detach said lower wing surfaces and tertiary means operable by said secondary means to simultaneously detach said upper wing surfaces.

18. The combination with an aircraft hull of a pair of detachable wings therefor, control lines connecting the wings with the hull and means to cut said lines when said wings are detached.

19. In an aircraft including as its main elements a hull and wings detachably associated therewith, cables connecting said elements and means to sever said cables simultaneously at a number of points between the elements.

20. In an aircraft, the combination with the hull, shedable Wings, a motor shedable with the wings, a non-shedable motor, the shedable motor-being elevated above the non-shedable motor, a fuel supply tank common to both motors, and connections respectively between the tank and motors, the connection between thevtank and shedable motor comprising feed line sections separable simultaneously with the shedding of the wings without correspondingly breaking the connection between the tank and nonshedable motor. I

21. The combination with a boat having laterally extending tins, of a wing panel carried by the boat, wings detachably connected to'said panel and means mounted on the panel to shed the detached wings clear of the boat, said panel beinglaterally projected to a point in the vicinity of the longitudinal vertical plane of the lateral margins of said fins to aid the shedding operation.

22. The combination with an aircraft and a wing panel carried. thereby of wings hinged to said panel, means hidden in the streamline at each hinging edge of said panel to disrupt said hinge connections and means extending through said panel for the simultaneous operation of said hidden means.

23. In an aircraft, the combination with the hull, shedable wings, a motor and aerial propeller shedable with the Wings, a nonshedable motor and water propeller, a fuel supply tank common to both motors, and connections respectively between the motors and fuel tank, the connection between the fuel tank and motors comprising separate feed line sections shedable and non-shedable respectively simultaneously with the shedding of the wings.

24. In an aircraft, the combination With the hull, shedable wings, a propelling power plant including a motor and an aerial propeller, the motor being carried by the shedable wings, a propelling power plant comprising a non-shedable motor and a Water tor including the slip joint whereby the propeller, the non-shedable motor being enwings and motors carried thereby may be closed within the hull, a fuel tank common shed as a unit Without affecting the supply 10 to both motors likewise enclosed Within of fuel to the non-shedable motor.-

5 the hull and connections respectively be- In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix tween the motors and fuel tank, the connecmy signature. tion between the fuel tank and shedable mo- JOHN P. TARBOX. 

